Hops at knockout

[KayaBrew]

I've brewed a hundred gallons of beer since I've started, and I have never tried to add aroma hops at knockout (I've always added them with 5 minutes left on the boil). Here's my question: if I add some hops when I turn off the heat, how long do I let them steep until I run my IC to cool the wort? And, what method is more effective for aroma...knockout addition or dry-hop? I appreciate the advice.

 

[Dos_Locos_Brewery]

There's no single answer to this - experiment, and see what you like! Basically, the longer you steep hot, the more you will tilt toward flavor on the flavor/aroma continuum. To me, dry hopping adds a distinctly different profile, mostly aroma. It's fresher, but has the potential to be grassy if overdone. I've never detected that note from knockout hops.

 

[BargainFittings]

I do both knock out and aroma hops. I leave 0 minute additions in through the chill and leave them in the kettle when after I whirlpool and rack to the fermenter.

The dry hop additions I put in a hop sock and throw them in the keg and when I get the aroma I desire I typically will rack the beer to a clean keg.

Both add alot of aroma. The knock out / 0 addition hops are more stable from my experience but not alot.

You can always dry hop if the 0 minute are not to your satisfaction.

 

[viking999]

Here's my question: if I add some hops when I turn off the heat, how long do I let them steep until I run my IC to cool the wort? And, what method is more effective for aroma...knockout addition or dry-hop?

1) You don't let them steep any longer than it takes you to chill the wort. If you were to let them steep before chilling, you'd also be letting the other hops that you already added steep for longer than you planned, making the beer more on the bitter side and less on the hop aroma side. Heat kills aroma pretty quickly, as aroma is essentially particles escaping into the air, and heat makes them escape faster leaving less aroma for when you actually drink the beer. It's not going to ruin anything if you let it sit before cooling, but it will change the hop effects on flavor.

2) Since aroma is lessened and bittering is increased by heating the hops, dry hopping (really should be called "cold hopping", shouldn't it?) is adding as close to pure hop aroma as you can get (except maybe hop extracts, I don't know about those). The reason dry hopping works so well is because you don't have to pasteurize the hops before adding them, which helps it keep the aroma. You don't need to pasteurize them, because there's already alcohol in the beer. If you're really worried about infections, then you can soak the hops in a small amount of vodka before adding them. I wouldn't pasteurize the hops for dry hopping, though, because you'd kind of be defeating the purpose. If you absolutely must pasteurize, you might want to add more hops than you otherwise would for dry hopping. CAVEAT: I haven't done dry hopping yet, but I've done secondary honey and fruit additions, for which the same rules about pasteurizing and aroma apply.

 

[SmugMug]

There's no single answer to this - experiment, and see what you like! Basically, the longer you steep hot, the more you will tilt toward flavor on the flavor/aroma continuum. To me, dry hopping adds a distinctly different profile, mostly aroma. It's fresher, but has the potential to be grassy if overdone. I've never detected that note from knockout hops.

If you don't like a grassy/wild flavor, never try the IPA from the Sleeping Lady Brewery. I doubt there are many here that can get Alaskan beer, but that IPA tastes pretty much like a field of wild weeds smell. The single worst microbrew I have ever tasted. I loves me some hops.

 

[KayaBrew]

Well, thanks to everyone who responded. Some good info here. It all makes sense. I think what I'll do is both: add an oz. at knockout and another oz. to dry hop.

 

[addis29]

I've heard of people running the chiller to about 170-180 and then adding the hops and steep for the remainder of chilling the wort. Never tried it but always wanted to.